Can you identify the most important part of your car? Some would say it’s the airbags, or maybe even the seatbelts, but experienced drivers know that your control of the car is what really counts. The way you control your car can prevent and avoid dangerous situations, and that means your throttle, steering and brakes are the parts you need the most. So, what if one of these parts of your vehicle were defective? That may be a question Nissan Owners all over the country need to face as a lawsuit claims some of its vehicles have defective brakes.
Does Your Nissan Have Defective Brakes?
It all started at an intersection in Hollywood back in 2012, that’s where a 74-year-old man crashed into a minivan in his SUV. A mother and her two daughters did not survive the crash, and the driver of the SUV was charged with manslaughter. However, something was not right.
The man claimed that his brakes failed and caused the crash, and after investigating he found proof of the faulty devices. After receiving an estimated 4000 complaints, Nissan had settled a class action lawsuit alleging that the brakes on some of its vehicles were defective. The Infiniti QX56—the same model of SUV driven by the 74-year-old—was on that list.
Upon this discovery, manslaughter charges were dropped and the husband of the woman who lost her life also dropped his civil suit against the elderly man. Instead, the husband, the 74-year-old, the wife’s surviving daughter, and the wife’s mother all joined forces to sue Nissan. They alleged that the company intentionally hid this defect from the public and refused to issue a recall.
On July 21st, these plaintiffs won that case. They were awarded around $25 million for their losses, but the results of this case leave a question hanging in the air. Will Nissan finally recall the vehicles that have this braking defect, or will Nissan owners continue to drive around on potentially deadly, faulty equipment?
A message from the product liability attorneys at the Keefe Law Firm.
